Preview: A closer look at the Second Round of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers
MUNICH (Germany) - Exactly a week before the start of FIBA EuroBasket 2022, 12 teams will be taking the next step on the road to EuroBasket 2025 with the Second Round of the Pre-Qualifiers.
MUNICH (Germany) - Exactly a week before the start of FIBA EuroBasket 2022, 12 teams will be taking the next step on the road to EuroBasket 2025 with the Second Round of the Pre-Qualifiers.
Six of the 10 teams from the Pre-Qualifiers First Round - including FIBA EuroBasket 2025 co-hosts Cyprus - advanced to the Second Round and were joined by six teams that were eliminated from the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers.
After three windows of qualifiers, the three Second Round group winners and Cyprus will move onto the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers. The eight teams that do not advance from the Second Round will join the four teams eliminated in the First Round to decide the final spots in the Qualifiers.
Group D
0/12 games played
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Slovakia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | North Macedonia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Norway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Thursday August 25
Slovakia v Norway - 18:00 CET
Denmark v North Macedonia - 19:00 CET
Sunday August 28
Norway v Denmark - 18:00 CET
North Macedonia v Slovakia - 19:00 CET
Denmark and Norway arrive via the First Round, where they played together in Group C, which Denmark won with a 3-1 record while Norway were 2-2. The Norway v Denmark game on August 28 will be less than two months after Norway fought back from 22 points down to pull within two points in the final seconds, only to lose 64-62.
North Macedonia failed to collect a single win in the FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers, losing twice to Spain, Georgia and Ukraine. Slovakia also could not secure a victory in their World Cup qualification, dropping all six games to Latvia, Belgium and Serbia.
North Macedonia are likely the favorites going into the group having reached the EuroBasket five times, including four straight from 2009 to 2015, and put together memorable run to fourth place in 2011, in Lithuania. The other trio will be out for history as Denmark have not played at the continental showcase since 1955 while neither Norway nor Slovakia have appeared at a EuroBasket.
Group E
0/12 games played
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Croatia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Thursday August 25
Poland v Croatia - 18:30 CET
Switzerland v Austria - 19:30 CET
Sunday August 28
Austria v Poland - 17:00 CET
Croatia v Switzerland - 20:00 CET
Group E will have some fierce games as Croatia and Poland will be frustrated about having to go through the Pre-Qualifiers, as they both had FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 dreams. The Alpine nations Austria and Switzerland for their part will try their best to aggravate the big favorites and maybe earn a surprise first place in the group. The first game in the group should be a major battle as Poland host Croatia in Warsaw. Mark down November 13 for the second match-up between these two big names, in Croatia.
Croatia have never missed FIBA EuroBasket since the country became independent, with coach Damir Mulaomerovic's team making their 14th straight appearance starting next month. Poland will also be playing on the continental stage after the 2025 Pre-Qualifiers, a seventh consecutive showing for a country just three years removed from reaching the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. Austria meanwhile have not played a EuroBasket since 1977 and Switzerland's last showing dates back to 1955.
Group F
0/12 games played
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 | Cyprus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Thursday August 25
Bulgaria v Cyprus - 18:00 CET
Romania v Portugal - 18:00 CET
Sunday August 28
Portugal v Cyprus - 18:00 CET
Bulgaria v Romania - 18:00 CET
With Cyprus having already locked a spot in the Qualifiers, Bulgaria, Portugal and Romania all go into Group F feeling good about their chances of advancing. Romania arrive in the Second Round after winning all four games against Albania and Luxembourg in the Pre-Qualifiers First Round. Bulgaria went 1-5 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers First Round, finishing behind Lithuania, Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina. And Portugal lost went 0-6 in their World Cup qualification campaign, dropping two games each to France, Montenegro and Hungary.
Cyprus will automatically qualify for FIBA EuroBasket 2025 as co-hosts for the first time, while Bulgaria and Portugal both took the continental stage in 2011 and Romania were co-hosts in 2017 for their first appearance since 1987.
FIBA